A Light In The Darkness
by luckyredpanda
Summary: A group of seperate students at a school for magic are brought together when an old and missing friend suddenly reappears out of the blue. Somehow after her appearence, everthing that suddenly seems right seems to have gone wrong all at once and the only
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer-  
  
Here is my disclaimer. okay basically there isn't much to say other then- I own no characters and/or plots in this Fan Fiction other then ones unrecognizable. So any of you can go on a tattle all you want (not that any of you would but there are people out there for that and that alone, trust me I know one) but it shouldn't get you far cause all characters, plots, ideas, etc., belong completely and only to J.K. Rowling. Unless, of course, she notifies people otherwise on the subject that she does not own it. Also unless (as I said before) the ideas are unrecognizable, because that would mean they belong to mean unless I say otherwise. Basically everything is J.K. Rowling's unless it's not recognizable or I say so. -Now wasn't that entirely pointless? At least I won't get arrested, right? Yeah. 


	2. Ch1, Past Life

Ch. 1 - Past Life  
  
Lily Evans lived a normal life, in a normal school, with a normal family. At least she had until her eleventh birthday when a dark brown barn owl soared in through the kitchen window, dropping a letter in her very lap. From that day on, her life changed forever into something she would never forget.  
  
Three months later, on September first, Lily Evans boarded the Hogwarts Express and began her life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There she began her first day, and then her second, and then her third, forth, fifth, and so on. She made her friends, and she made her enemies. Her friends were Raelene Goodson, Bailey Jordan, Angela Warner, Dussika Dulac, Willow Harrison, Kennedy Post, Jade Stone, Alice Mills, Chelsey Dickison, Bret Lightning, Andrew Collins, Stephen Sander, and her best friend of all was Ashlyn Sephre. Her enemies; Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black, Courtney McGrint, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.  
  
As time passed, friendships grew to be stronger, or lessened to be weaker. Ashlyn and she were like sisters by Christmas holidays, which they spent with Bailey and the newly founded group of troublemakers, the "Marauders" whom became the biggest pranksters in the history of Hogwarts. Lily didn't like the four boys much, but Bailey and Ashlyn had become quite close to the group when Lily was off studying or something else. The three girls exchanged rings that day. Each received one that fit on her right ring finger, and all of them looked the exact same; silver, and large enough to hold a square gem of their color choice. Lily went with and emerald green; Bailey went with a deep sapphire blue, and Ashlyn, with a blood red of some sort of gem neither of the others girls had heard of.  
  
Time passed and the first summer began. Lily saw Ashlyn the first week of vacation, as well as Bailey for a week straight before Ashlyn had to go home. Then the summer began to pass. Occasionally, Lily would see some of her other classmates here or there, but not to often. The letters Ashlyn had been sending her suddenly stopped coming. Lily checked with Bailey to hear the exact same news, and soon heard that from everyone else she had been writing. Ashlyn was well liked for her spunky outgoing personality, and her odd leave did not go unnoticed.  
  
When second year began, Ashlyn didn't come, and there wasn't a single explanation from anyone other then to 'simply just accept this and continue on with your studies and daily lives.' For months Lily kept an eye out for her dear friend, as well as did Bailey, Willow, and the marauders. Yet still, no word came. She began to lose hope as did everyone else, and soon enough. Ashlyn Kateri Sephre was a memory of the past.  
  
Everyone moved on as the years past. Lily found a wonderful friendship in her dorm mates Raelene, Tessa, and Adriana. Tessa brought her out into the world of dating and boys. One of her favorite things in life, as many said. Adriana brought out a bit of wild and excitement that had been long forgotten. And then there was Raelene. The one alone who helped her to learn to forget what needed to be forgotten. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter managed to keep her on her toes and her angry temper up at all times, but what else could they ever do for her?  
  
Second year passed. Then third. and fourth. and fifth was nearly over when late one night, Lily and Bailey stumbled across something they had never seen before. A large, dark, leather bound photo album hidden under the window seat behind the lose panel that Lily nearly fell through upon leaning against it. They found something in that book that they swore to never repeat and kept that way. It was agreed they would take turns watching over the book to make sure no one else found the old and only memories of their dear old friend, whom had long since passed. Yet in the book was not only photos of the good times, but family trees, birth certificates, everything imaginable to be used to tell about a person on a sheet of paper.  
  
Then the summer began, and Bailey kept in touch with Lily well. Often the two met to look farther into and closer at the old book. Of course, they kept up with their other friends as much as they could, as they didn't want to end up like Ashlyn. Whatever it was that happened to her. Lily often saw more of the marauders, and as far as Lily was concerned, they, James especially, were as arrogant and conceited as ever. Yet, being Bailey's friend, she put up with them, and a few times, they did manage to make her laugh; Sirius in particular. Then the school year came, and Lily found herself once again staring at the large scarlet steam engine. 


	3. Ch2, Surprise

Ch. 2 - Surprise  
  
"Gorgeous, isn't it?" a light-hearted voice said from her right.  
  
Lily turned to see Bailey Marie Jordan standing there with her trolley in front of her, rocking back and forth on the balls and heels of her feet, and smiled. "Yeah. I just can't get over that."  
  
They both laughed.  
  
Bailey brush the front strands of her rather dark yet bright read hair behind her ears and smiled back at Lily. Her bright blue eyes blazed with happiness at being on her way back to their home-away-from-home. "Me either. It's used every year six times, and yet it still doesn't seem to change whatsoever. Still keeps its shine and glory."  
  
"So you say. and have apparently counted." Lily said with a laugh.  
  
Bailey proudly looked on at the train. "Yes, well, that's a rather simple task, so I thought 'oh why not.'"  
  
The two sixth year Gryffindor girls laughed cheerily as they moved on down the platform to find a compartment.  
  
Lily was in the middle of helping Bailey haul her trunk into their newly found compartment when somewhat larger pair of hands covered her eyes. Considering the large squeak that Bailey let out before dropping her end of the trunk onto Lily's foot, Lily was pretty certain that she, too, had been caught off guard.  
  
"Guess who." An obviously male voice said.  
  
"Umm, Bret?" Lily asked curiously.  
  
In front of Lily, Bailey guessed as well. "If she says Bret, then I've got to say James."  
  
"Hold on a sec, Bailey. How do you get James from Bret?" Lily asked wondering what nonsense logic Bailey used.  
  
"Well, Bret is your best guy friend, so why can't my captor by my best guy friend?" she asked incredulously.  
  
Lily sighed. "He can't be James, because your best guy friend always comes running in at the last second, while my best guy friend gets here early to see me."  
  
Bailey huffed in response seeing her point.  
  
The two boys laughed out loud at their argument before removing their hands. Lily saw with amazement, James Potter standing behind Bailey, and turned around to see, with a relief, Bret Lightning, rather then one of James's friends.  
  
"So, Lily. I guess James Potter isn't always running in at the last minute any more." He said with a smile and a wink.  
  
Lily scowled at her least favorite person other then her sister, and went back to trying to lift her trunk up.  
  
"You want some help?" Bret asked before lifting up the other end with out an answer. The trunk was in the compartment in a matter of seconds.  
  
Lily smiled. "Sure, why not? Grab Baileys."  
  
"You got it whip mistress." He laughed.  
  
"'Whip mistress' Lily?" Bailey snorted.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes at the sky and hopped onto the train after Bret, quickly followed by James, and a laughing Bailey.  
  
As the train ride progressed, James picked up on his never ending tirade of trying to persuade Lily to go out with him. She would catch him adjusting his round yet thin-frammed glasses over his dark hazel eyes, or ruffling his untidy jet-black hair when he thought she wasn't looking, or even asking Bailey questions as to what he should do. A few times he tried to get it so that Bret and Bailey had to leave for something so that he could be left alone with her. Lily suspected Bailey agreed to leave during one of their conversations because she would eagerly get up and attempt to drag Bret away. Bret on the other hand had a different idea, and seemed to want to stick around at all costs.  
  
"So Evans, you got prefect again?" James asked upon seeing the Prefect badge pinned on her robes over her chest.  
  
"Yes, I did." She replied. "Sorry that I can't as much for you."  
  
James shrugged. "Yeah, well, fish got to swim, birds got to fly, and a prankster just has got to prank. Being prefect would tarnish my reputation. Too bad Remus got the badge though, poor guy."  
  
"Oh yes," Bailey sarcastically exclaimed, "I can hardly understand how he'll manage. I mean, what with all of the girls finding him even more of an irresistible stud now that he's got authority. I fret the thought."  
  
"Is that really what you two think?" Bret asked.  
  
"Oh, of course! What else could we possibly think?" Bailey said.  
  
The two girls laughed as the boys looked on in horror. It took them a few minutes before the joke seemed to settle into their confused minds, and then and there the girls paid. In an instant, the boys used the quick quidditch reflexes to flip the girls over and start to tickle them. Lily and Bailey shrieked with laughter until the door slammed open revealing four new figures. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Raelene Goodson.  
  
"Well hello, hello!" Raelene said happily as she walked in and lounged across the now vacant seats where Lily and Bret had been.  
  
The two girls jumped up and greeted her while the boys all grouped on the other side and started to talk.  
  
This was how the train ride went. People came and left their compartment through out the ride. At one point, Lily had to leave for her prefect duties and didn't return for quite a while, which Bailey said upon her return that Bret had gotten quite worried about her 'sudden disappearance.' Finally though, after a long ride, the train pulled to a stop and they all stood up to leave. Bailey and James went off together. Bret said, all though sadly, that he had to meet up with Andrew and Stephen, and left as well. Lily quickly walked up to the large horse-less carriages and found one with only three people. Willow, Kennedy, and Jade. She quickly jumped in just as the carriages began to roll away and closed the door behind her.  
  
"Hey Lily!" Willow exclaimed. Her bright green eyes looked excited about something and her tone of voice held it as well, but Lily said nothing to her about it. Even as her long black ponytail bobbed up and down behind her head as she bounced in her seat.  
  
"Hey Will!" Lily said right back. "How have you been?"  
  
"Oh just wonderful!" she said awfully too cheerful in Lily's opinion.  
  
Catching Lily's quizzical look, Kennedy leaned over to her once Willow and Jade were immersed in conversation. "Don't ask. She's been like that since she got some owl around noon on the way here. I swear she's lost it."  
  
"I can see why." Lily said just before Jade started to shake Willow by the shoulders.  
  
"For the love of Merlin! Will! You! Just! Calm! Down! Already!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "What is so important that you have to flip out?"  
  
Willow simply waved her off. "You'll understand once the feast starts."  
  
None of them tried to get it out of her for the rest of the trip, but once the carriages came to a stop, Lily was yet again forced to split up from her friends. While her three previous companions made there way over to the Ravenclaw table, Lily seated herself on Bailey's left at the Gryffindor table near the end of the table. The marauders were all sitting near them and Lily could only pray she was able to ignore them.  
  
Finally, the sorting began. Lily watched as all of the new students came walking up to the front of the hall. All of which, she noted, looking rather nervous or frightened. She was so tired by now that the whole sorting seemed to blow past her. She, of course, clapped with the rest of her house to show her support, being a prefect and all. By the end a total of seven students had been added to Gryffindor, none of which, Lily remember the names of.  
  
"LILY! THERE IS A GIANT FROG ON YOUR HEAD!"  
  
Lily jumped at the sound of her name. "Huh?" She looked curiously at the now laughing boys, Bailey, and Bret, Tessa, Adriana and Raelene who must have joined in during the sorting. "Seriously, what?"  
  
"Are you tired or something?" Raelene asked.  
  
Lily looked at her oddly for a second before it dawned on her. "Oh! Actually, quite, to be truthful."  
  
"Well crew. that would explain the not paying us any attention." Sirius said as he rolled his misty gray eyes behind the bangs of his chin length raven-black hair that most girls loved.  
  
"Oh yes, because you have to be in the spotlight all hours, don't you?" Adriana retorted.  
  
"Quite right you are, my dear girl!" he exclaimed brightly.  
  
Lily laughed a true laugh as Sirius continued to argue off and on with her dorm mates. She tried to follow it for the next ten minutes as everyone ate their food. Lily, personally wasn't all too hungry and only ate about half a plate of food whereas the rest of hr friends and enemies stuffed themselves full. She then felt her attention drawing across the room to Willows seat, only to see her looking up right past her at the large double oak entrance doors. She had only touched a chicken leg and a spoonful of mashed potatoes from what Lily could see. She continued to watch Willow, unnoticed by her peers, until when Lily finally thought that there was nothing to see, a loud bang coming from the giant doors behind her, changed her mind.  
  
Lily whipped around in her seat as well as many others wishing to get a look at the large doors which had been thrown open moments beforehand. What she saw astonished her. A young girl, not possibly older then 18, stood there with her arms sticking out at her sides, having not dropped them quite yet from when she had personally opened the doors. At lest, that was what it appeared as to Lily Evans and her schoolmates. The girl wore slightly tight yet loose, white pants. She had on a matching white jacket with a collar and cuffs and the wrists. Under that she wore a form fitting, deep brown, sleeveless t-shirt, which held no design or pattern what so ever. Her boots were also a deep brown and were definitely for large travels. All of her clothing (as Lily was quick to notice) was slightly dirtied by various patches of dirt and mud. Her pants and boots worst of all.  
  
Lily's eyes then traveled to the various accessories she had brought along with her. Around her waist she wore a deep brown, leather, type of belt, which from what Lily could perceive, carried the sheath of a sword. She wondered if the sheath actually held a genuine sword, but was not about to stand up and ask. She also noticed a rather tan and color faded backpack was swung over the girls left shoulder with one strap, and that it looked to be rather full of whatever it was that this girl carried. Then Lily's eyes fell across one of the strangest methods of wand keeping she had ever seen. On the outer side of the girls right thigh, starting at the knee, was a tall and thin personal made pocket. Then from within this pocket, protruded about two inches of the end of a dark colored wand. The girls' wand, as Lily assumed.  
  
Carefully and closely, not only Lily, but everyone, watched as the girl removed the pair of brown leather gloves that had been hidden by her jackets long sleeves. Once that had been accomplished, she calmly began her walk past the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables, before making her way down the long middle aisle up to the head table. Curiously, every eye was on this new girl. Dumbledore had not seemed at all disturbed by her sudden and strange arrival, where as the rest of the staff surly had. In a matter of silent seconds, the girl had walked up the Dumbledore and placed her hands on the table in front of her. The room was so deathly quiet that you could almost hear a pin drop, there fore, making it so every soul, living or not, could hear her every word.  
  
"Well hello sir. So very sorry about arriving so late and missing the train." She apologized.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "It's quite all right, but if you could please do me the favor of taking a slight trip to my office after the feast before you return to your old room, then I think all will be forgiven."  
  
"Of course sir. I would expect you to expect no less." She said brightly, before turning to face Professor McGonagall, who sat on the Headmasters right. "Wonderful to see you once again, Professor McG." She added with a wink as the Professor's face held the sign of slight shock.  
  
"Take a seat now, please." Dumbledore instructed with his hand.  
  
Lily watched as the girl smiled at them both before turning around and facing the Gryffindor table, just as Dumbledore rose from his seat.  
  
"Students!" he said with a proud air in his voice. "May I be the first to welcome back an old and missed student into our midst, Miss Ashlyn Kateri Sephre!"  
  
The room went even quieter. Deathly quiet. 


	4. Ch3, Welcome Home again

Ch. 3 - Welcome Home. again  
  
It was almost thirty minutes later when Lily herself raced into the Common Room. She froze in her tracks to avoid nearly running into a small third year. Looking around she noticed that all of Gryffindor Tower had to be there, and as she listened, she knew why. Stray voices pressed through the crowd past her ears.  
  
"Who is she?"  
  
"Why is she here?"  
  
"How did she get here?"  
  
"I heard that she's a runaway from Azkaban."  
  
"No way Tommy. She's way to cool to be from Azkaban."  
  
"They say she came from through the Forbidden Forest and battled a dozen werewolves!"  
  
"How come all of the sixth and seventh years know her?"  
  
"Why was she late?"  
  
"How could she just suddenly come back like that? Like it's not a big deal?"  
  
As farfetched and exaggerated as some of these were, the last one was what caught Lily's attention. "I'm not sure either, Bret." Lily replied, near to tears.  
  
Bret must have noticed, because his full attention turned to Lily. "Oh Lil. Please don't cry. She's been gone for years. Aren't you happy for her return?" Lily nodded dumbly as a single tear ran down her cheek. Bret quickly led her over to the nearest armchair that was at least partially secluded from the rest of the common room. Kneeling on one knee in front of her, her held her hands in one of his, and brushed away her tear with the other. "Then why so sad?" he asked sweetly.  
  
"Because. B-Because I know that I can't ever let her stay here. Not anymore." Then, with one last look at Bret, Lily pushed her way through the thronging crowd towards the girls' dormitory staircase. She was nearly there, when none other then James Potter appeared in front of her with a large smile.  
  
"Evans!" he said loudly. "So, I, uh, suppose what with Ashlyn being back and all that you're in a pretty good mood like the rest of us. Well other then Remus. He seemed sort of grumped out about the fact that she had returned, but let the boy be himself."  
  
Lily didn't reply. Instead, she just nodded simply and continued to try and pass James.  
  
"So I'll be taking that as a yes if you don't mind." He said slowly, noticing her odd and cruel less attitude towards him.  
  
Once again, she said nothing.  
  
He seemed to ponder something slowly as he watched her, before deciding on whatever it was he was thinking about. "So would you do me the honor of going out with me?"  
  
Right then something clicked on in Lily's head. "Remus doesn't want her back?"  
  
James seemed rather startled by this comment, but responded all the less. "Well not exactly that, but what about my question?"  
  
"Why?" Lily hounded him. "Those two were as close as super glue. Almost as close as she and I."  
  
"You mean Remus? Listen, he's just as happy as the rest of us to have her back, but something about him seemed off from the second Dumbledore said her name and he approached Gryffindor table." James answered.  
  
"Oh, well, yeah, okay." She responded. Then there was a large applause as the portrait hole began to open up to allow to people to enter. Professor McGonagall and Ashlyn. She instantly turned to face James. "She'll want to see you and the rest of your dorm."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose she will, won't she?" he laughed, before going off towards her. He easily created a rather wide path for himself, as was Sirius a few feet off to his right, and Bailey yet another few feet off in the same direction.  
  
The only person other then her missing, was Remus, whom she quickly spotted not far from herself.  
  
"Remus!" she called.  
  
Remus looked all around him trying to find the source, before finally spotting Lily and waving her over. "So why aren't you in that large welcome home party?" he asked as she arrived by him.  
  
"I should think I should be asking you that. For once lets be on good terms. From prefect t prefect." Lily replied.  
  
Remus sighed. I suppose your right. Just this once though, okay?" He smiled as Lily nodded. "I guess I'm just afraid she'll run off again if I let her come back."  
  
"You as well?" Lily asked. He nodded, and she just smiled. "So let me tell you something then. Ashlyn may have run off, and we may have missed her, but she's back now and has probably missed us as well. So what I'm saying is that you're never going to find out why she left or why she's back if you don't go over there and welcome her back like the rest of them."  
  
"And if she were to run of again?" he asked.  
  
Lily stayed silent for a few moments before deciding on how to reply. "She won't. She just. won't." she lied to him, feeling the horrible drops of guilt seep through her skin into her soul.  
  
Remus smiled at her nonetheless, not seeming to notice how she had to force hers, and made his way quickly through the crowd toward Ashlyn. Lily watched as he lifted her up in a large hug, which she instantly returned as she laughed while wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, casing him to nearly drop as he laughed at her. Lily knew she had done the right thing even if she had to do the wrong thing to do it, and smiled to herself.  
  
Lily stayed in her place in the common room, just taking her time watching her two best friends and their friends et reacquainted. A few times Lily watched as Ashlyn tried to come over to her, but she only got pulled right back down by everyone in the group. Lily watched as Bret excused himself from the group and walked over to her as quickly as possible, nearly tripping over an armchair and an ataman, so as to get to her before she could escape. Of course, it worked.  
  
"Hey." He said.  
  
"Hey, I guess." Lily replied.  
  
Bret gave her a pointed look and Lily knew what was coming.  
  
She began backing up and yelling before Bret even took one step forward. "Oh no! There is no way. Don't you dare!" she exclaimed with a laugh.  
  
Bret came right at her and picked her up by the waist before carrying her over to the somewhat large group of friends sitting in a half circle around the fire grate. Bret sat her down on Bailey's right and his left, making her the second to last on her end of he line. Ashlyn had been placed in the dead center of the line and was heartily laughing at what Bret had done, her belongings from before scattered out around in front of her.  
  
Almost immediately, Sirius picked up the conversation. "We've just finished including Ashlyn in on all the fun that's been going on since she decided to skip out on us!" he said brightly.  
  
Ashlyn threw the nearest pillow at his head. "I did NOT skip out on you!" she exclaimed pointedly. "I merely took my chance at travel incase I never got another." She said, finishing off with a hint of pride in her voice.  
  
Lily smiled meekly. She really had missed the two of them bickering off and on all the time.  
  
"Travel!" Sirius exclaimed. "You skipped out on us, period, end of discussion."  
  
"We'll settle this out without his royal pain in the ass, later, alright everyone?" she commented back at him, making sure he heard her nice and clear.  
  
Everyone just nodded simply before someone, once again, picked up the conversation.  
  
This time it was Adriana. "How did you get it?" she asked, indicating towards the pile of Ashlyn's belongings on the floor in front of them all.  
  
Ashlyn's eyes lit up brightly with glee. "You mean my baby?"  
  
Adriana laughed while the rest looked on in confusion. "If that is what you call it, then yes, your baby."  
  
She quickly started searching through the pile and almost instantly pulled out the sheath from beneath everything else. She then stood up and with one quick movement, removed a rather long sword itself from the sheath, and held it out for them all to see. A nearly perfect blade, save for a few scratches here and there, glinted in the dieing embers of the fire. The hilt was made of pure silver, and designed, like most swords, to resemble a cross. The silver was flattened rather them made up with tiny hundreds of patterns, save for the sides of the hilt, which beheld some ancient type of a loop design. On both the top and bottom sides of the sword hilt, a blood red gemstone was placed at the end of each of the crosses arms. The same stone in fact, that Lily remembered Ashlyn choosing for her ring all those years ago. Then, as a final touch, on the top face (as the group presumed) of the swords hilt, the initials 'X. L. M.' were carved horizontally across. Then, on the bottom face (as the group once again presumed), the initials 'L. L. M.' were carved horizontally across the hilt just as the other initials had been. All fourteen of her audience members (including al of the sixth years and four seventh) stared in awe at the magnificent beauty before them.  
  
"Right. Well her name is Jenova for starters." She began proudly since no one could comment.  
  
After a few moments of silence, reality seemed to sink in for Lily. A photograph of a man about the age of forty appeared with his right hand resting on the shoulder of a young girl, eleven years of age. Resting across the girl's outstretched arms was a dazzling unique sword of silver. The older man, the girl's father, wore a grin of the strongest pride. The girl herself, wore a grin of the strongest satisfaction and self-pride, almost as dazzling as the sword. Inscribed under the photograph, was a small sentence explaining the picture above. 'Xander and Lunaya stand with the family sword only moments after Lunaya's training completion ceremony. -August 8th, 1974' Yet as quickly as the picture floated into her mind, it began to dissolve away but the memory of seeing it remained.  
  
Lily snapped her view up and away from the magnificent sword towards Ashlyn's proud face. She was just looking into her eyes, when something else caught her view. James Potter suddenly jumped, but it seemed that it was only to the knowledge of Lily herself. She watched as his eyes widened as he took in some site from the sword, unknown to Lily herself. She let it pass for the time being, and returned her gaze away from his now shocked yet slightly angered face to look back at Ashlyn. Her young happy grin reminded her of the girl she had seen so many years ago. She had changed from before though, to say the least. Her green eyes had brightened. Her hair had grown out to become longer, softer, and a darker shade of golden dirty blonde. She had used to have still had her baby fat, but that had all disappeared for sure. She was taller then Lily had expected her to ever be, and she had definitely, by all standards, grown up to be a mature young lady. Not the goof off they had all expected. She was now one of the most slender girls in Lily's year, and one of the best looking, judging by the earlier actions emitted by the various Hogwarts males. And yet she had been happy with her life, at a school of magic, with her friends. With Lily, with Bailey, with Sirius, Remus, Willow, Jade, Kennedy, James. and then it hit her. Another picture of a photograph came into the view of Lily's mind.  
  
Two men sat side by side in front of a large (obviously magic) tent, each man sitting in his own relaxing camping chair. They both looked extremely happy and Lily didn't need to be told twice that they were the greatest of friends. A third man was relaxing as well by the two happy companions. He seemed nearly just as happy as the other two, and to be great friends with one of the men, the blonde one. Their surroundings were that of a large forest with a deep blue river winding through the trees in the background. The men were in about their late thirties, but neither had lost their boyish grins. Their views though, were focused on three smaller objects standing not far off. The three objects were that of a young girl and two young boys, standing side-by-side in a line with the girl in the middle, and their arms swung over each other's shoulders. All three children were about the age of seven or eight, and they all looked so happy. The young girl, with green eyes, blonde hair, had a golden chain around her forehead with a pendent hanging down to her foreheads center. The chain went under the top half of her hair, which had been pulled back. Her smile was that of happiness as she stood on tiptoe to reach her friends height. She seemed to know both of the other children well. The boy on her right, with chocolate brown eyes that seemed to have the lightest trace of rings, sandy light brown hair, and a somewhat tall height, stood their smiling as well, but he didn't seem to be very aquatinted with the other boy whom stood two places to his left. This boy, with his untidy jet black hair, light hazel eyes, round yet thin framed glasses, and rather tall height, stood there, his smile as wide as ever, and he as well did not seem to know the boy two places to his right very well. This picture, too, had two short sentences inscribed underneath. 'Harold, Xander, and Seth sit watching Remus, Lunaya, and James bond together on their father son/daughter trip. This being the Lupin's first time coming, and Xander, Lunaya, James and Harold's third. -May 31st, 1972' Then, once again, the picture began to fade and Lily was left with yet another memory.  
  
Lily looked around the group at all the people gathered in the group. There was herself, Bret, Bailey, Mandi and Katie and Orion and Tristian (all four of them seventh years), then Ashlyn herself, and then Tessa, Adriana, Raelene, Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus. She noticed that not only did James now look uneasy, but so did Remus. She decided to make nothing of it for the time being, and along with ignoring them; she ignored the memory's of the photographs she had remembered.  
  
"Well this is amazingly wonderful, all of s around each other, but I would really prefer if Ashlyn and I went upstairs to bed." Lily announced.  
  
Most of the group protested, but Bailey stood by her side. "Yes, come on everyone, we have all year to reunite. Time for bed I do believe."  
  
Slowly and reluctantly, the group began to file away, but Bret hadn't had his complete say and he hung back because of it.  
  
"Whoa, now what's all this crap 'bout making her leave again, and then all of a sudden being all happy once again?" he asked quickly, while pointing at a now confused Ashlyn.  
  
"Forget it Bret. Maybe I'll explain it someday when you're older." Lily replied and with that, she, Bailey and Ashlyn carried Ashlyn's belongings up the girls dormitory stairs to their dorm room, where they placed it on the once again occupied bed, leaving Bret a ways down the stairs to play with his own thoughts.  
  
The three other girls in their dorm quickly jumped right at them, edging Ashlyn to tell them about where she had been and why she had gone. Ashlyn simply explained that she was just too tired to talk and would explain everything to them on the upcoming Friday night, seven days away, and apparently far to long for the girls judging by their gaping expressions. Lily didn't complain though, she couldn't bring herself to it. Just like she couldn't bring herself to ask one simple question.  
  
How could you come back? How, after all those secrets, stories, and lies? 


	5. Ch4, Tell Me The Truth

Ch. 4 - Tell Me The Truth  
  
Sleep tended to evade Lily that night. So much, actually, that when the first rays of the suns light poured through the window in the sixth years Gryffindor girls dormitory, she was almost instantly awakened. Swinging her legs over the side of her bed and sitting up, she was able to see that everyone other then Ashlyn had woken up by now and left with their curtains open and tied back. Ashlyn on the other hand was sitting up, dressed in a gray running tank and matching gray sweats. These, too, had a tall yet slender pocket on the outside of her right thigh. Her hair was pulled back into a low lose ponytail that hug over her shoulder as she looked on in Lily's direction.  
  
Waving in acknowledgement, Lily stood and began to ready herself for her first day back, which just happened to be a Saturday. She grabbed a stack of clothes and such out of her trunk before walking straight into the bathroom. She returned about fifteen minutes later to see Ashlyn standing in front of a floor length mirror completely changed out of her sweats into a whole knew outfit. She now wore a pair of white slacks and a soft navy blue hoodie, with her hair pulled back into a high ponytail. The end of her dark colored redwood wand sticking out of the pocket that Lily had now assumed was on every pair of slacks she owned. She was just finishing up attaching the leather belt that held her sword and its sheath around her waist when Lily noticed.  
  
"Leave it." She said.  
  
"What? I can't just leave it. This is a family air loom." Ashlyn said as if Lily were crazy.  
  
Lily looked around and spotted the window seat. Pointing over to it she spoke up. "Leave it in there, behind the loose panel."  
  
Ashlyn froze in shock as she stared long and hard at Lily. After a minute she raced over a knelt in front of the center panel. She lightly pressed on it before pulling at the corners where a small dent was, and the panel popped right out. She lightly set her sword inside of it, laying it sideways, before sticking her head inside and peering around. Inside this opening was a long thin yet soft cushion along the ground, with an assortment of various ingredients, spices, herbs and powders. All of these had been placed in all sorts of separate wooden racks and different shapes of bottles. Ashlyn began tearing through them. She tossed bottle after bottle past her or even over her head into the air or across the ground. Lily raced frantically around the room chasing down the majority of the bottles, trying to catch the airborne ones before they crashed into the hard wooden floor and smashed. As the seconds passed, Ashlyn's franticness increased and she began to search quicker and quicker through the stash of hidden items. Then, suddenly, she stopped and bolted to a standing position. Lily quickly shoved what surviving bottles there were back into the space before turning to find Ashlyn practically breathing down her neck, causing her to jump.  
  
"How did you know that was there, Lily?" she asked quickly yet clearly.  
  
Lily froze for a second at the tone in Ashlyn's voice. "I - that is to say - Bailey and I found it near the end of last year. I was leaning against the panel and it sot of fell through backwards and I went with it. We just found a bunch of stuff, that's all."  
  
"Lily, where is the book?" Ashlyn asked, sounding somewhat dangerous.  
  
"Book?" Lily asked sounding bewildered.  
  
"DAMNIT LILY!" she shouted, before lowering her voice again. "I. Want. My. Book." She growled.  
  
Just then the door opened and Bailey stood there with a confused expression. "Am I. interrupting anything? We came into the Common Room after breakfast, only to hear someone shout."  
  
Ashlyn quickly rounded on Bailey. "Where is my book?"  
  
Shooting a questioning glance at Lily, she reached behind her back towards her trunk which happened to be awfully close and pulled out the large, dark, leather-bound photo album book that she and Lily had found the year before. "Here." Se said, before turning to face Lily. "How did she find out we knew?"  
  
Lily sighed and pointed at the open space and wooden panel lying on the floor. Bailey shook her head and flopped on her bed. Both girls turned to look at Ashlyn to find her looking slightly pale as she flipped through the pages. Repeatedly going back over some. Finally she looked up, though reluctantly, to meet her friends' gazes.  
  
She sighed. "So I suppose this where I explain my self then."  
  
Lily wanted to listen, she really did, but something inside told her not too. Something that felt as though it was eating at her very soul and mind. "No." Lily whispered.  
  
"What?" Bailey asked.  
  
"You don't want me to explain?" Ashlyn said, sounding horridly confused and distraught.  
  
Lily swallowed. "Ashlyn, just pack up and go. You can't stay here. For your safety, but mostly for everyone else's."  
  
"What are you on about?" Ashlyn asked. "What is so dangerous?"  
  
"Don't play dumb with me Ashlyn!" Lily shouted.  
  
"I'm not, Lil!" Ashlyn shouted back. "What the bloody hell, are you on about?"  
  
"YOU!" Lily shouted. "You're the danger. To Bailey and I. To James and Remus. To Willow and the staff. To the whole of Hogwarts!"  
  
Bailey looked confused. "Lily, what are you talking about? How could Ashlyn- "  
  
"You didn't read everything I read. A few measly pictures and a family tree with her name nowhere on it and you were done. You'd had enough, Bailey, but I hadn't, and so I read more and more. I leafed through it night and day every chance I got until I'd read it front to back nearly four times. I though that maybe, just maybe I would be able to learn enough to find her, to find a way to bring her back to school and know she was all right." At this, Lily stopped and turned to face Ashlyn. "To find you. To make sure you, as my best friend, were okay."  
  
"No." Ashlyn whispered. "No, that's not it. It's not just the fact that I left and you were worried about me. That wouldn't make you consider me a threat. It's the stories, isn't it?"  
  
Lily looked up sharply. "Stories? STORIES! What 'stories'?" she asked. "You mean. do you mean the facts? Because for five months I looked up information on your family and did you know that you yourself are mentioned in two of them?"  
  
"No she wasn't." Bailey said. "I searched with you. No where did they mention Ashlyn."  
  
"Oh well of course not!" Lily exclaimed swing her arms up into the air. "And do you know why, Bailey? Do you know?"  
  
Ashlyn looked near to a nervous breakdown. "Please Lily, don't. Please."  
  
"Come on Lily. calm down. You're only making partial sense. Two of them what? You meant books, right?" Bailey asked.  
  
Stopping for a sec, Lily took time to remember what she had meant. It only took her a few moments. "Yes, books; Two of the library books. There's actually a whole book on her and her family and the things that they're known for."  
  
"Lily." Ashlyn warned.  
  
Lily ignored her in return while walking backwards around the room and waving her arms to express herself at times. "All of those special talents. All of the gifts that her family holds in their blood."  
  
"Ashlyn, what is she talking about?" Bailey asked.  
  
"Oh come now Bailey!" Lily exclaimed. "Don't tell me you never even took a peek at the bottles in there; that you didn't notice the initials on the sword; that you didn't notice even the smallest resemblance between Ashlyn and Lu-"  
  
"LILY! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Ashlyn yelled, yet she felt horrid afterwards. "I'm sorry, but I want you to. no, you need to stop filling her head with all these lies."  
  
Lily felt as if her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Lies?"  
  
Bailey held her now aching head in frustration. She opened her mouth to speak but the other two cut her off.  
  
"NOT! NOW!" they both yelled in unison.  
  
"I am Ashlyn Kateri Sephre, period, end of discussion." Ashlyn said coldly.  
  
"You may be Ashlyn by common Knowledge and acknowledgement. but you and I both know you are and always will be by blood and heritage." Lily said, before sitting down crossed legged on the floor.  
  
Ashlyn followed suit so that the girls' backs were facing each other's, and the two remained in silence. Finally after a near hour of silence, Bailey's headache had disappeared and she was beginning to get sick of the quiet. She stood up and immediately spoke her mind, which by now, was filled with quite a bit of anger.  
  
"I have no idea what the two of you are on about, but I am not going to just disown either of you because of a problem. Now get up and straighten out this argument." She waited and neither girl moved. "NOW!"  
  
"Well if she'd just accept the truth of it all." Ashlyn muttered. Unfortunately though, Lily heard.  
  
"I have accepted the truth, and it isn't any good." Lily muttered rather loudly.  
  
"Alright. Common Room. NOW!" Ashlyn yelled, before pulling Lily up with herself and shoving her down into the Common Room.  
  
Lily went reluctantly, and felt Ashlyn push her down onto the nearest sofa. Ashlyn then moved over to the boys' dormitory staircase and pulled her wand out of the side pocket on her pants, pointing up the stairs. "Arceo." She said clearly. Lily watched as a thin wisp of silver smoke protruded from the end of her wand and floated quickly up the stairs. She repeated this six more times before walking back over to Lily.  
  
"Just stay here. Okay?" she asked.  
  
Lily sighed. "Fine, but where has Bailey gone off to?"  
  
Ashlyn looked up and groaned. She then walked over to the girls' dormitory stairs and looked up them. "Bailey Marie Jordan! Hurry up and get down here! What are you doing anyway?"  
  
"Just a second, Ashlyn!" Lily heard Bailey yell back. "Sheesh! Can't a girl take her time?"  
  
"NO!" Lily and Ashlyn yelled.  
  
"Alright! Alright!" she replied as she came running into the room with a rather bulky pillowcase. "You'd think this was actually important." She said as she rolled her eyes at the two girls.  
  
"But that's just it Bailey." Ashlyn said in a sweet voice. Next second though, her eyes and voice were dark. "It is important."  
  
Bailey dismissed the part about it being important with a wave of her hand before she replied. "Well anyways, get on with that fight of yours. I just have a few things to do while I listen in."  
  
Lily was personally getting tired of all this. Ashlyn didn't get it and apparently neither had Bailey. She simply just stood up and proceeded to walk over to the portrait hole. Unfortunately though, Ashlyn beat her there and shoved her back. She then went and prepared the same spell seven times at the foot of the girls' dormitory stairs, before walking over to Lily and sitting down in the couch across from her.  
  
"Could you just hear me out? Please?" Ashlyn asked.  
  
Lily sighed. "I owe you that much."  
  
Lily was surprised by the look of seriousness on Ashlyn's face. "Okay." She exhaled a large breath. "Okay. Now nod if you understand not to interrupt me, because once I get going it'll be easier not to stop."  
  
Lily simply nodded and Ashlyn opened her mouth to begin.  
  
Bailey stood. "Oh, could you hold that thought for one sec? I'll be right back." She said. She then walked out the portrait hole, shutting it with a quiet slam. After a good ten minutes, she returned and sat on the floor again. Ashlyn looked at her with a raised eyebrow when she turned around. "What? Oh! Go on, continue." She said with a wave of her hand.  
  
"Okay, it all started like this." Ashlyn's voice filled with bitterness immediately and her face darkened. "My bother, Cash, he died when I was five. He was only seven at the time actually. He was kidnapped, we don't know why, but he was found dead two weeks later outside of our village in the early morning. He had been killed that night after two weeks of torture and his body had the scars to show. Then two weeks later a strange man entered to village. He had black hair and deep blue eyes like the sea that was to the north of our village, which I often visited on my own time. I remember him so well. He strode in so tall and proud. My people seemed afraid. They refused to leave their homes until my father, head of the clan, saw and spoke to him. The only problem was that my father wasn't due to return for another three days from the trip he had left on, so I went out. My mother never noticed. She was still grieving for Cash. You could say that she picked up my slack I guess. I never cried for him those days, no, it wasn't for years after that until I finally grieved. Even if I never cried it doesn't mean I couldn't grieve, and so I did. Never mind that though, you'll be more interested in the man.  
  
"I went outside. With my father gone, it left me in charge, and I hated it. I was afraid of this man. He was so different from all of us. He wore robes while we wore smaller more revealing clothing. Or at least the majority of us all did. My cousin Maura especially, but she's not important till later. And so as I said, I was afraid. Here I am, five years of age, with my seven- year-old brother dead, left in charge when a strange man suddenly walks into our village. Our village being a place that is supposed to be hidden from all outside the clan. Yet I alone approached him. I asked him who he was and why he had come. His exact reply was 'I am Harold James Potter. A friend to a man named Xander MacLinthraul. Would you happen to know him, little one?' I laughed on the inside. Know him? Oh I knew him all right. This man knew nothing. He was a fool to have come there, and with what? A stick. A stupid, thin, wooden stick. At least that's what I thought then."  
  
Lily waited as she trailed off and pulled out her own wand, rolling it across her palms and frowning all the while. An emotion filled her eyes that Lily couldn't quite figure out. She didn't push Ashlyn into continuing though, she knew she would continue in time, and so she did only mere moments later.  
  
"Then I beckoned the man, this Harold Potter to come forward. He did so and knelt before me. After a few moments of silence, he laughed a hearty laugh and ruffled my hair. He smiled at me and began to speak again.  
  
"'So what's your name, little one? Where are your mummy and daddy? Your siblings?' he asked.  
  
"'Lunaya' I replied. 'My mother is home, still grieving the death of my older brother, whom was murdered on the night of the previous moon. My father, leader of this clan and the village, has gone on a trip and is due to return in three days time. I have been left as leader of our clan until his return incase a situation such as this were to occur. Any more questions, Sir?'  
  
"The man couldn't believe I was so literate. I was only five after all. Yet, all shock ends eventually and his did only after a mere few moments. He looked down on me and asked if I was the daughter of Xander. I answered in the positive feeling proud, no longer scared of this man. He had done no harm to me so far and he was a good man as far as I could tell. From there it went on. Mr. Potter became the father I hardly ever had, and James became the only other child I ever saw other then my family, and even them I couldn't associate with. It was a known fear, that because I was so young, if I took my mind off the task of leading my people when Xander wasn't around I could easily lose interest or something of the sort. Xander was always away doing one thing or another, leaving me to run our home and our people. Me, a five year-old-girl, was left to take care of everyone and everything. I had never learned how. That was what my brother had been taught. Not me. Yet I did it. I managed. Xander stopped in every so often during the years to check up on me. To give me a break off for about two or three weeks so I could look into my studies harder; Astronomy, Sword Lessons, Languages, and so much more. That was when I saw James. I would leave the village, something no one other then Xander and a select few over the years ever did. Certainly no women other then me had. I would stay with his family for the time my father chose to remain. It was by a horrid accident that I met the Lupin's and Remus.  
  
"Whenever I came around, people were under the assumption that the Potter's were once again traveling, so that I would not be found out. The ministry, as I'm sure you have heard, is not too fond of my people. Especially me. So there I was. James was teaching me how to play quidditch. We were eight, and it was the end of February. We walked inside when we were finished to find Mr. Potter sitting with a man about his age and a young boy who was about ours. In an instant everything went wrong. That man knew who I was immediately. It didn't take genius to recognize who I had to be as long as they were with the ministry. They knew all about me. All about what I looked like right down to what I was cape able of. The man had is stick out in a second. That stupid piece of wood cost him a slice of flesh which holds a scar to this day."  
  
Lily felt horrible. She wanted to cry, but knew she shouldn't. So far Ashlyn's story was so sad and heart wrenching. Her friend spoke with bitterness nearly every moment of the story other then when she talked about James and Remus. They, the only friends she ever had, seemed to make her happy. She opened her mouth but Ashlyn quickly hushed her with a glare before continuing.  
  
"It was my first instinct to protect. Those sticks were what killed my brother. Maybe not his, but one of those sticks all the same. My right hand was out in a second. James knew what was going on. I'd done something before like this but not exactly the same. It was out of caring and goodness before. Not out of anger or fear, and he knew. He hid behind me just as it started, knowing I would protect him, and he pulled the strange boy with him. The boy was an innocent to me, and no harm could come to him because of that. My eyes clouded over and when the haze vanished my eyes were black as coal. They were so dark that you didn't have a chance in telling them apart from my pupil. My hair color began to slowly change. The blonde began to darken as time past, eventually turning into a deep black. The spell I did was not to harm, only to disarm, but even when Mr. Potter tried to quickly explain, the man didn't understand. He attempted one of his magic spells anyways just as my magick began to pull the wand from his hand, causing the spell, whatever it was, to blast a large glass dish into several large pieces. My second hand was up in a flash, all the while circling in front of me as I turned to face the direction of the blasted bowl. The glass that came at me merely hit the barrier I had created and dropped like stones. I'm sorry to say that it didn't go as well for the man. A large piece of glass made a slice on his arm nearly six inches long and deep enough to gush blood. Yet during all the confusion and fear, I had succeeded my main goal: To retrieve the wand, and there it was in my own hand.  
  
"I turned around to face James and the boy. 'Name?' I remember asking him immediately. James had answered for him, having met him once before, and the boy being too shocked and most likely scared to reply himself. I shoved the stick in his hand telling him to give it back to his father once they left. I despised the item and had no wish to keep it. And so I met Remus Jerold Lupin and his father Seth Robert Lupin. Of course Xander arrived moments later. He knew I'd done magick, and lets say he wasn't all too happy. Having to inform a new outsider was hard for him. I was sent to my room on the top floor. James to his, which was right beneath my own, and then Remus went along with him. Next thing I know, Xander, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Potter all left. I went home to the usual and the boys just stayed home. Three months later it's the annual camping trip that lasts a month. The most I got to see of Xander each year. Surprisingly the Lupins were there with smiles. Apparently Xander showed him some things that made him understand, and I was glad. Remus and James got to know each other after that.  
  
"So time went by. I finished Sword Lessons and completed most of my studies as I was far ahead. My initials were inscribed on the hilt of the sword, on the hilt of Jenova. Then I received my letter to Hogwarts. I didn't want to go, but something Xander said made me want to go. 'Think of it as an adventure.' He had said, and so I went. I changed my name and removed the chain I wore around my forehead. It was customary so to wear it if I was Xander's daughter, and, as I was now no longer so, I removed it. Then a problem arose. While I was gone, my people chose to exile me. As long as I went to the school and chose to change my identity, I was no longer welcome home. Xander could do nothing as he was away, and I settled for the year. I met you and Bailey and Willow and Sirius and many others. I practiced my magick's every alone chance I got. Then Willow caught me, and I found she had some power herself. That book. I looked at it. I turned page after page until I found what I had been looking for and I read it to her. 'Willow Zenn Harrison: the daughter of Albert Colin Harrison and Tara Leanna McTills Harrison. Tara is the daughter of Shay Leanne MacLeo McTills and Oran Lester McTills. Shay is the daughter of Onyx Lars MacLeo and Alva Leigh MacLeo. Alva being the daughter of Macon Laird MacLeo and Kelby Lane MacLinthraul MacLeo.' So I knew she was related to my family, however distant. I taught her the magic. Of course she can't really do any of the hand stuff, but when it comes down to it she's pretty good at languages and the potions.  
  
"Then life moved on still. I had made a new home here and then I took off. I traveled. Visiting home every chance that I knew my father would be there. Those were the only times I could be let in. I visited other schools for a few months each. I visited the schools in Egypt, Brazil, America and Australia. Though I traveled the rest of the time. And then I returned home, the only place I knew I could ever call a home. I returned to my village and my people. They welcomed me, knowing that I had left the school, but not knowing I only learned at others and had not snapped that infernal stick of mine. So I stayed. I stayed until late May last year when the inevitable happened. Xander died. Mr. Potter died. I returned here at the expense of the one punishment once again, but I needed to get away for a while to a place where no one would bother me. I needed to be at Hogwarts.  
  
"More stories were made about me and my people after those two deaths. I'm sure you've heard plenty of them. Our people are known for their dark magick, but in reality, it isn't that dark. Not compared to the spells that your kind has created. The killing spell is the perfect example. There is no such record of our people using our magick's to kill. Not yet at least. That's why we're shunned and hated. We were shunned because of all those stupid theories about one of my people killing muggles and witches and wizards with their magick. It's ludicrous. My people don't harm unless they have reason to. The feelings of threat or of danger are such reasons and yet even then we do not attack just yet. We are peaceful. These stories are made up by the M.O.M. because they fear us, and because they want to make sure we don't overtake them. They shouldn't bother. As long as a MacLinthraul is head of the clan, nothing of the sort will ever happen. I'm sure of it."  
  
Lily watched as Ashlyn sat down. She didn't move after that. Just remained sitting with her arms crossed for some time. Bailey began to hum a random tune as she worked. Lily looked at Ashlyn's face. It was so full of emotions. Silence reined through out the room. At least until Bailey's voice echoed around the room.  
  
"So how did they die?" She asked offhandedly as she walked past them to the other side of the room, dragging a once-again bulky pillowcase behind her.  
  
"Err, you know. I know you've heard the stories, Bailey. We've both read them." Lily answered sadly with an uneasy glance at Ashlyn who appeared to be in deep thought.  
  
"Well yeah. Xander secretly meet's Harold. blah blah. Xander ends up being a traitor to get info out of Harold. blah blah. Xander puts old sword found on plaque on wall through Harold's gut. blah blah. sudden death to Harold. blah blah. Xander disappears. blah blah. second unidentified body found not long after. blah blah. only marking on body is a small symbol on his forehead in the shape of an ancient symbol. blah blah." she finished, and with that, Bailey once again set up the things she was messing with in front of her and began to measure and mix ingredients together. After a few minutes of silence she looked up at Ashlyn. "Well?"  
  
Surprisingly, Ashlyn let out a laugh. "Well that's the bloodied up M.O.M. version of the story without deep details to put it bluntly." She said, before going into a fit of laughter.  
  
Personally, Lily thought the poor girl had gone insane from the stress. Once second she's all gloomy and the next she was cracking up in laughter. This wasn't a laughing matter to Lily. Or was it? She wasn't quite sure now. Her friend, whom had lived the whole experience and felt the pain Lily felt for her, was laughing. Bailey herself had a small smile on her face, and it was evident that she was trying to keep from doing so seeing as how the right corner kept twitching slightly. Lily couldn't help but let a small smile slip and Ashlyn noticed immediately. She sat up from her fallen position and looked up at Lily and then over at Bailey.  
  
"I'm afraid that, as much as I would like to feed you two the information, this story is not mine to tell. Not yet at least. A few people still need to take the time to work out the details and understand what really happened that night." Ashlyn smiled as she said this, but Lily saw the sadness that filled her eyes and her smile itself fell to form a frown of her own.  
  
Lily's mind felt muddled with all of this new information. It was filled with all of this new information that she could research as much she pleased. She felt as though a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders to float up high above in the sky only to fall once again upon the next troubled soul that came along. There was only one real way to explain it. She was happy! Utterly and completely happy! She smiled as she stood up.  
  
"And so I guess that's how it ends.for now." Ashlyn concluded as she wrung her hands together in a nervous gesture, while looking at the two who smiled back. They each reached out a hand and grasped one of hers. Lily pulled Ashlyn up, who, in turn, pulled Bailey up at the same moment. They stood in a circle just looking at each other before suddenly hugging each other at the exact same moment, confirming the fact that Lily had forgiven Ashlyn. and the trio was back.  
  
The three pulled away from each other quickly and they all smiled.  
  
"So everything is okay now is it?" A strange voice said.  
  
The three of them turned to see Professor Dumbledore sitting in the corner with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. Lily and Bailey looked and felt startled, whereas Ashlyn looked horrified. Reality dawned on Lily's mind as she realized the Headmaster must have heard every word said. She watched as Ashlyn opened her mouth to try and explain, but the Headmaster spoke first as he rose from his seat with his long silver-gray hair and beard swinging.  
  
He held up his hand. "Do not try and explain, Miss Sephre." He said.  
  
Ashlyn, of course, did not listen. "I'm sorry! I intended to tell you over time, but Lily and Bailey beat me to it. I didn't want to lie about coming back with my soul purpose being for the education, but those were the only conditions that you said you could accept me under. I never intended to lie, but it just sort of happened over time. I really didn't mean anything by it! I-"  
  
"Miss Sephre!" Dumbledore exclaimed with a chuckle. "I understand. You have no reason to worry. In any matter, it was probably best that I heard the story this way rather then by your knowledge. I'm under the impression you might have left a few more things out if it were to your knowledge that I was listening."  
  
Ashlyn nodded, seemingly speechless. 


	6. Ch5, Concoctions, Curses and Cures

Ch. 5 - Concoctions, Curses And Cures  
  
Lily turned around to see Bailey hastily shoving the things she had been using into the pillowcase. She bent down beside her and began to help. Picking up three small thin phials, she noticed they weren't filled with grains of some powder or herb. Instead, each was filled with the same deep black liquid. Lily turned around to see Ashlyn and the Headmaster talking quietly about something. She turned back around to find Bailey holding out her hand to Lily. Understanding, Lily placed the phials in the palm of her hand, and watched as Bailey stuffed them in the pocket of her robes, which she had chosen to wear over muggle clothing.  
  
"Don't tell Ashlyn." Bailey said.  
  
"What are those?" Lily whispered.  
  
"Potions. I found them in the book." She explained quickly.  
  
"What do they do?" Lily asked quietly.  
  
Bailey pulled the book out of the bag and flipped to page 387. "Here." She pointed to a potion recipe. "There all the same."  
  
"'The Concoction of Healing'" Lily read aloud. She raised an eyebrow at Bailey who urged her to read on. "'The Concoction of Healing is made from a blend of water, herbs, regular kitchen spices and a drop of blood from the person intending to use the potion. As a warning: This potion must be brewed before the injury occurs. An ancient potion known to heal some of the worst cuts, scrapes, gashes, and bruises almost instantly upon applying the potion. While it may not be anywhere as near as powerful as Nina MacLeo's ancient healing methods, it is known to get it's job done. Often carried by those prone to accident or even those accustom to battle.'" Lily paused and looked up. "You made this?"  
  
Bailey shrugged. "I may hate potions, but it doesn't mean I'm no good at it." Seeing the look in Lily's eye, she pulled out around nine phials filled with the black liquid. She read the labels on them and separated three from the batch and handed them to Lily. "Here. These three phials are made from your blood, and will therefore work on only you."  
  
A thought crossed Lily's mind. "But-"  
  
"But where did I get the blood?" Bailey voiced for her. Lily watched her rummage through the pillowcase and pull out a familiar tool. "Some muggle devices are amazing. Scalpels, I believe they call them. So sharp you won't even feel them slice your own skin. I cut you on your finger, there." She explained, pointing at a thin cut on the tip of her index finger. Looking closer, Lily noticed it appeared to be vanishing. She opened her mouth to speak, but Bailey answered first. "I already applied the potion to it, as well as to Bailey and myself. I want you to keep them. They were to be Christmas gifts, but I think I'll secretly send around three-dozen to each of the marauders instead. They seem to need them quite often."  
  
"So that's what you've been doing all day? Making nine small phials of a healing concoction? How long will it take you to make the Marauders that many?" Lily asked, astounded, as she pocketed the phials.  
  
"Yes, Miss Jordan. How do you intend to do so? I believe classes start up soon." They heard Dumbledore say from behind them.  
  
The two girls laughed nervously as they turned and looked up at Dumbledore and Ashlyn. Lily silently cursed herself for not checking on where those two were.  
  
"And what reason do you have to believe I might not just take away all those ingredients?" Ashlyn asked.  
  
"Because I made you some to?" Bailey asked hopefully, removing three of the phials from her pocket and holding them out in front of herself.  
  
"Oh you did? Really? That's so kind!" Ashlyn exclaimed, as she took the phials from Bailey. "Wait. Do they work?"  
  
"Almost perfectly. I think I'll have them working a bit faster once I get some practice in." Bailey responded proudly. "Maybe even better by the time I get them to the Marauders."  
  
Lily felt like she should be helping. "Oh yes, mine healed all most instantly. Not even a mark left."  
  
Ashlyn smiled and pulled the two girls up into a standing position. "Come on. It's nearly dinner time and I'm famished!"  
  
"Sure!" Bailey and Lily exclaimed.  
  
"But you know Ashlyn. you really should tell James, and maybe even Remus." Lily pointed out as they started walking.  
  
Ashlyn looked at her like she was crazy. "You're kidding me, right?" Lily shook her head 'no' and Ashlyn frowned. "Don't you get it? Xander supposedly killed his father. James has probably been seeking revenge on me and anyone else in my family. If he found out. I don't even want to think about what he'd do to me."  
  
Lily nodded, understanding dawning all over, and so they continued on.  
  
Quickly, the three girls began to file out the portrait hole. Ashlyn stepped out, then Lily, and then Bailey was halfway through when Dumbledore called her back. With a pale and fearful expression, Bailey retreated back into the Common Room. Ashlyn and Lily turned around, only to come face to face with a large crowd of various students sitting along the floor of the corridor. Tessa, Adriana and Raelene immediately jumped up.  
  
"Can we go in now?" They all whined.  
  
Baffled, Lily nodded and they raced into the Common Room, half of Gryffindor Tower following. The two began walking towards the Great Hall in hopes of getting there early enough to make it before the food magically disappeared. They passed through corridor after corridor just randomly talking about past subjects. Just as they reached the foot of the entrance hall's grand staircase, Ashlyn tripped, landing face first on the cold stone floor. Lily attempted moving out of the way, but she wasn't quick enough and went down as well.  
  
"Well look at what we've stumbled upon, Severus. Sephre and mudblood, the scum of the earth, on the floor where they belong."  
  
The two girls looked up to see the faces of Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape, peering down on them as if something truly revolting were there. Lily instantly began to stand up, but Ashlyn pulled her down to sit while she, herself, rolled over on her back and crossed her arms behind her head in a relaxed manner. The boys' jaws nearly dropped when they looked at Ashlyn. Lily saw what they thought of her, even though they tried to hide it. They loved the way she looked. She wasn't the short, in between skinny and slightly fat kid anymore, and they had noticed. The look on Ashlyn's face told that she had realized what they were thinking as well.  
  
Ashlyn gained a devilish grin. "Why Lucy. It's been so long since I last humiliated you. How have you been?"  
  
His senses seeming to come back to him, Lucius opened his mouth. "Wonderful." He replied, looking all but. "With you gone for so long, I had free reign to pick on mudblood here and all her little friends."  
  
"Well that is just wonderful, now isn't it Lucy." Ashlyn said. She turned to wink at Lily, only to find her close to tears. Frowning, she realized how much Lucius must have actually done over the years if it still hurt her. She turned back around to face Lucius. "Why don't you leave now? You're really not welcome. You either, Sevypoo."  
  
Lucius had to hold Severus back as he replied. "Oh, but we're not finished here."  
  
"Oh yes we are. Trust me." Ashlyn said. "Now scamper off to your Common Room or what not and work on getting that abnormally large head out of your ass. When you've finally succeeded, let me know, and then I'll consider finishing up this entirely pointless conversation that revolves around humiliating you."  
  
Looking entirely dumbstruck, neither of the two moved.  
  
"You heard the girl. Get out of here."  
  
Lily turned to see James with his wand drawn and Remus and Sirius quickly running up to them, wands drawn as well. Bailey herself wasn't far behind as she walked down the stairs toward them.  
  
"You heard him. Go!" Sirius said.  
  
The two boys walked off in the direction of the dungeons, sneering as they went.  
  
"Bye Lucy! Bye Sevypoo!" Ashlyn yelled after them as she stood up. She regretted it in a second. The two boys had turned around, wands drawn, racing at her as they cast curse after curse. She let out a small squeak before tearing off down the hall into the Great Hall, hoping for it to have at least one staff member.  
  
"Here Evans." Lily looked up to see James holding out his hand to help her up. Instead of grabbing it though, Lily grabbed the banister of the staircase and pulled herself up while attempting to dry her tears before anyone noticed. It seemed to have worked so far.  
  
Then a high-pitched scream erupted from with in the hall, causing the group to look over in that direction.  
  
Everyone, even Lily, laughed as the two Slytherin boys came to an abrupt halt outside of the great big oak doors looking horror struck, and turned around to go the other way. Unfortunately though, they weren't quick enough. Professors McGonagall (Transfiguration), Kettleburn (Care of Magical Creatures) and Popples (The Study of Ancient Runes) all came walking out practically dragging a nearly hysterical Ashlyn with them. All laughter seized. Ashlyn's hair had been dyed a deep dark gray. They all knew how much Ashlyn loved her blonde hair and the fact that she was in upset hysterics about it explained a lot. Next thing they noticed though was that she had also grown the tail of a raccoon, which matched her hair perfectly. As they continued to drag her out, ears of a raccoon began to grow on he top of her head from beneath her hair. As she reached up and felt these she nearly passed out. No wonder she was upset.  
  
Professor McGonagall looked outraged. "Misters Malfoy and Snape!" she nearly shrieked. "Attacking a student and an unarmed one at that! I am horribly disappointed in the two of you. Especially Mr. Snape. You're a prefect, are you not?"  
  
Severus nodded.  
  
"One detention each. You will report to my office at eight-o-clock sharp on Monday evening." She ordered.  
  
The two nodded as they pocketed their wands.  
  
"Now please reverse the effects on Miss Sephre."  
  
"Err. there's a small problem in that." Malfoy explained.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Err, yes. You see. there really isn't a counter spell." Snape added.  
  
Ashlyn looked to be mere seconds away from passing out, but Professor Popples kept her standing.  
  
Professor Kettleburn stepped forward. "There isn't one, or you two don't know it?" he asked.  
  
"There isn't one. She's stuck like that for an unknown amount of time. It all depends on when the spell feels like wearing out." Malfoy and Snape recited together.  
  
Ashlyn passed out.  
  
"Another detention, eight-o-clock on Tuesday, in my office." Professor Popples said sternly as she conjured a stretcher for Ashlyn.  
  
"And five points form Slytherin. each." Professor Kettleburn added as he looked at the two boys. "Now off to your dormitories. We'll be contacting your head of house to inform her of your punishments."  
  
The two boys slowly nodded before walking off once again towards the dungeons. They didn't leave entirely though. Not before they slid in a few snide remarks.  
  
"Watch your step mudblood, or you'll be worse off then Sephre over there." Lucius whispered only loud enough for Lily to here as he passed by, suspiciously close to her.  
  
Swallowing hard, Lily began to walk off as quickly as possible in the direction of the Hospital Wing, trying to leave the others behind.  
  
"Lily! Hey Lily!"  
  
She turned around to find Bailey running up to her. "Yeah?"  
  
"Where are you going? I thought we were going to get some dinner?" she asked.  
  
Lily had forgotten all about dinner. "You go ahead. I'm really not all that hungry. I'll just go check on Ashlyn and tell you how she is when I come back to the Common Room."  
  
Bailey looked at her curiously. "Are you sure?" Lily nodded. "All right, but I'll try and bring you back some food."  
  
"Thanks Bailey."  
  
Lily watched as Bailey turned away with a wave and made her way back to the Great Hall, where the three boys were waiting for her. Just as they walked in, Peter and Bret joined up with them and entered as well. Still, slightly upset about what Malfoy had said, Lily continued on her way towards the Hospital Wing. Around five minutes later, she found herself knocking on the door. A young girl of about twenty, dressed in white, opened the door.  
  
"Hello Lily. I suppose you're here to see Ashlyn?"  
  
"Hullo Poppy." Lily said, nodding her head.  
  
"Mum is just finishing up with her. She woke up not long after she got here, but the poor girl was in complete hysterics."  
  
"She was like that before she passed out."  
  
"Yes, well, come in. She's right over there." She said, indicating over to the third bed on the right. "I'd come see if she's all right, but mum has me doing a few things in the back."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Anytime." And with that, the young assistant nurse disappeared into an office in the back.  
  
Lily made her way over to the bed and stepped into the curtained enclosure. There, Ashlyn was sitting holding a hand mirror in her right hand as she felt her hair and ears with her left. She jumped slightly when Lily cleared her throat, but smiled all the same.  
  
"Hey Lils." She said.  
  
"You feeling better?" Lily asked as she sat down. "You were in complete hysterics down there."  
  
"Yeah, well, I was in them up here as well. Madam Pomfrey had to force a calming potion down my throat before I even became remotely calm."  
  
"Poppy said you were still upset when she saw you."  
  
"Yeah. Well I feel better now." She said as she picked the mirror back up and looked at herself. "It really isn't to bad now that I've gotten used to it. I'm actually kind of cute now that I've thought about it. Wouldn't you say?"  
  
Lily laughed as Ashlyn made her ears twitch a little. Ashlyn couldn't help it. She began laughing as well. After a few minutes she stood up on her bed and began shaking her butt so that her tail would wobble back and forth, sending both girls into fits of hysterical laughter. They only stopped, when Madam Pomfrey came rushing in as Poppy, her daughter, pulled back the curtains.  
  
"What in heavens name is going on with the two of you?" she asked.  
  
Lily and Ashlyn chocked back the giggles that were trying to escape from their mouths as they watched Poppy stand behind her mother making faces. They cracked up as she imitated the two of them laughing and then her mother running in, practically having a heart attack. Lily then turned to glance at Ashlyn to see what she had to say. She had to laugh at the innocent face Ashlyn had plastered to her face. It looked so right with her raccoon features.  
  
"S-sorry Madam Pomfrey. Ashlyn was just-just modeling off her new features." Lily explained as she tried to keep from laughing. Ashlyn nodded in agreement, unable to say anything.  
  
"Come on mum." Poppy said. "Ashlyn seems to be all right. Let's just let her out so she can get back to her dormitory."  
  
"I suppose you right, Poppy."  
  
Ashlyn and Lily jumped up immediately. "Thank you!" they both exclaimed as they raced out through the infirmary doors. 


	7. Ch, First Day’s Always Interesting

Ch. 6 - First Day's Always Interesting  
  
Twenty minutes later, the two girls came stumbling into the Gryffindor Common Room. They were laughing so hard that they nearly hit everyone and everything in their path as they made their way over to the nearest couches. All eyes followed the bizarre pair as they stumbled past. A raccoon girl and a laughing friend weren't common even here after all. Lily and Ashlyn had only been in the Common Room for about ten minutes, when Bailey came running in with the Marauders and Bret following closely behind.  
  
"Hey Bails!" Lily said.  
  
Bailey stopped and looked around. "What? Where? Why are there hay bail's in the Common Room?"  
  
"I think she means you, Bailey." Sirius laughed as he swung his arm over her shoulders.  
  
Bailey turned a light shade of pink as she quickly made her way over to Lily and Ashlyn, sitting on Ashlyn's left with Sirius following and sitting down on her left. "So Ashlyn. I take it you're all better then." She said.  
  
Ashlyn nodded just as Remus sat down next to her on her other side. "You sure?" he asked.  
  
"Oh most definitely!" she exclaimed, jumping up and standing on the coffee table placed between the two couches. "Would you like me to model my new features for you?"  
  
Lily started laughing so hard that she didn't notice James sit on her left and Bret on her right. Nor did she notice Peter drag the nearest armchair over. By the time she had calmed down, tears were running down her cheeks, and she was doubled over from laughing so hard. She silently prayed that no one agreed to the suggested idea.  
  
"If it makes you happy." Remus said with smile.  
  
Lily couldn't watch again. She closed her eyes and covered them with her hands. The hysterical laughter coming from her friends told her that Ashlyn had just done what she did in the Hospital Wing. That was all she needed to set her off again. For minutes on end they laughed and by the time Lily and the others finally calmed down, they were the only ones left in the Common Room.  
  
Bailey stood up from her seat and yawned. "Well I don't know about all of you, but it's getting late and I'm in dire need of some sleep."  
  
Yawning as well, Ashlyn nodded in agreement and stood up.  
  
The two began walking up the stairs, only to stop and come back down. "Coming Lil?" They both asked.  
  
Seeing that Bret was getting up as well Lily decided she might as well go. "Yeah, I'm coming."  
  
So the three of them made their way up to their dormitory, leaving the boys behind to hopefully do the same. Lily jumped into her four-poster and snuggled under the covers as soon as she had changed. She was a matter of seconds away from the sleep that she could feel creeping upon her, when someone poked her in the side.  
  
"Wha?" she mumbled.  
  
"Psst. Lily! I have a question." She heard Ashlyn whisper.  
  
"Wha is it, Ash?" Lily asked.  
  
She didn't see Ashlyn wrinkle her nose at the nickname, nor did she hear the hopefulness in her voice as she spoke. "Is there something going on with you and James?"  
  
"HA! He wishes." Lily explained tiredly.  
  
"Oh. oh okay. G' night."  
  
Lily faintly heard the rustle of Ashlyn's covers and sheets as she climbed into bed, before all was silent save for the light snoring coming from Adriana's bed. Lying awake for a bit, Lily listened as Raelene mumbled slightly in her sleep, and Tessa rolled over. She heard the CLINCK of Bailey's ring hitting wood as she flung her arm over the side of her bed like she did almost every other night of her life. A slight breeze blew in through the small space where the window had been cracked open, successfully cooling the room slightly. The last thing Lily heard before she drifted off to sleep was her own breath escaping her lips, and then, to all asleep, the room was silent.  
  
The next day passed as normal as things get at Hogwarts. Ashlyn was pretty much both the center of attention and insults with the Slytherins leading the later of the two. Lily, Bailey, Tessa, Raelene, and Adriana had a fun time showing her around the school. Lily had had more then her fair share of run-ins with James. Enough to last her a week, according to Tessa who was to busy drooling at the thought of that happening to her to care exactly they were going. The consequences being she ran into a wall. After that everything was normal, save for the flashing banner in the Great Hall during dinner that read 'Ashlyn. Disposer of the Slytherin Scum. Welcome Home. May Your Furry Tail and Ears. Continue to Do You Justice!' in gold on top of a scarlet background. Each of the five parts of the phrase flashed one at a time in order over and over again. After nearly an hour of bugging, Bailey confessed it was courtesy of the Marauders. And that it wouldn't go away for six hours.  
  
The girls all went to bed fairly early due to the knowledge of having classes the next morning. Once again, Lily stayed up listening to the sounds of her room at night. She heard all the same sounds before she fell asleep. Even the sound of Bailey's ring echoed around the room, right down to the loud CLINCK. Then all was silent.  
  
"Lillian!" someone's shrill voice echoed through the sixth year's girls' dorm room causing Lily to sit up in shock.  
  
Lily looked around to see absolutely no one around and the bathroom door ajar. The sink water must have been running because Lily could faintly hear it as it sloshed around in the sink before slipping down the drain. Suddenly the water turned off and the door flung open.  
  
Tessa walked out all dressed in her school uniform and was half way over to her own bed when she saw Lily. "Oh good! You're awake!" she exclaimed, before jumping on the end of Lily's bed.  
  
"Why?" Lily asked.  
  
"Well first off, Ashlyn and the Marauders have been at each other throats all morning because Ashlyn found out that they were planning revenge on Snape and Malfoy. Then they all patched it up, so they're back on good terms. Everyone all ready headed off to breakfast. Classes start in," she checked her watch, "twenty minutes to be exact. Then, to top it all off, your lover boy is waiting for you in the Common Room."  
  
Lily sighed before hopping out of bed. "And you all wonder why I hate the first day of school." She said while pulling out her uniform and robes for the day, before running into the bathroom.  
  
"But he's amazingly good looking!" she faintly heard Tessa yell after her.  
  
Lily laughed. "And amazingly annoying, arrogant, and conceited!" she yelled back.  
  
Ten minutes later, Lily ran out of the bathroom fully dressed and washed. She grabbed her robes off of her bed and threw them on over her uniform before grabbing her books and racing out the door and down to the Common Room. She was half way out the portrait hole when someone called out to her.  
  
"Evans!"  
  
Lily spun around to find James running after her with one hand running through his now overly messed hair, and the other hold his bag.  
  
"What Potter?" she asked. For a short period of time she thought she might have been able to miss James.  
  
James slowed down to walk along side her. "I. well I-uh here. Let me take that for you." He said while reaching for her bag.  
  
Lily pulled it back. "I've got it. No need for help." She said, before making her way through the halls slightly faster.  
  
"All right." He said. "Oh. Here's your schedule. Bret was going to bring it but I offered for him."  
  
I'll get you for this, Bret! She thought as she grabbed her timetable from him with a forced smile.  
  
"So." He said. "What class have you got? I'll walk you."  
  
Lily side glanced at James, who she figured had noticed because he ran his hand through his already overly untidy hair. "Actually, I think I can walk my self. Good bye James." She said, before turning a corner quickly.  
  
Lily smiled when James didn't follow her. Looking down at her timetable, Lily saw that she had Arithmancy first with the Ravenclaws. She raced off to her classroom on the fourth floor and arrived there just as class was starting. Instantly, she saw Kennedy waving her over, her shoulder length golden blonde hair falling over her shoulders and her violet eyes sparkling with relief. Without a second thought, Lily gratefully took the seat without complaint.  
  
Almost immediately, Kennedy leaned over. "So how's life with Ashlyn back? Willow has nearly had a heart attack with out having seen her yet."  
  
"Great so far. Everything seems to finally be going back to the way it should." Lily whispered back.  
  
"Great. So you'd have no problem bringing Ashlyn and Bailey to meet Will, Jadeie and I on Friday during free period, right?"  
  
Lily opened her mouth just as Professor Vector walked in. "I'll try." She mouthed, before letting Professor Vector's lesson seep in.  
  
Three quarters of an hour later, at the end of Professor Vectors long 'welcome back' speech, Lily found herself walking out of the classroom with Kennedy at her side.  
  
"So as I was saying before class began." She started.  
  
Lily laughed. It was just like Kennedy to start up a conversation from forty-five minutes ago. "Yes. Go on. Continue."  
  
"Well could you do a little more then try for us? Us as in Willow, Jade, and I. Please?" she asked, with a pouting expression.  
  
Lily could help but. "Alright, but I don't know for how long."  
  
"Well with Ashlyn back, who would?"  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
Laughing, the two girls went their separate ways: Kennedy to potions and Lily to spend the Ancient Runes (a class she didn't take) period in the library. It was the first day back after all. Lily quickly found herself a seat at one of the tables near the back and pulled out a quill and some parchment. As time passed, Lily took notes on nearly a sixth of her Arithmancy book. She hadn't even noticed that lunch had started five minutes ago. Sitting in her seat, she didn't hear two someone's creep up behind her either until they poked her in the sides. Lily, who was nearly scared to death, screamed loud and high as she jumped out of her seat and spun around to face her attackers.  
  
Two very familiar girls, lying on the ground laughing their hearts out, were her attackers.  
  
"Lily! You should have seen your face!" Bailey nearly screamed.  
  
"Oh yeah! It was priceless, Lily!" another girl yelled.  
  
Lily quickly recognized her as Angela Warner. They didn't speak to often, seeing as how she got along with the only group of non-Slytherins that hated Lily. Of course, Angela was the only one who actually got along with Lily and didn't participate in the humor, and was the one who hung back to apologize all the time. Angela had long blondish-brown hair that flipped out as it passed her shoulders. She had big bright blue eyes, and a great smile. Like most other days, she was wearing silver hoop earrings that were about an inch in diameter. She was amazingly skinny and somewhat on the shorter side, but not too much so that she was less than five feet. She often wore shoes that made her at least an inch taller which made Lily laugh.  
  
Lily narrowed her eyes. "Why I autta-"  
  
"Autta what?" a sly daring voice asked from some where behind her.  
  
Bailey and Angela immediately silenced themselves and looked up and beyond Lily at the top of the bookshelf where two glowing eyes shown in the slight darkness. Both girls looked at each other and swallowed, before getting up and taking a step back.  
  
Lily turned around slowly, not quite sure of what she might see. She let out a large sigh at the sight of Ashlyn lazing on the top of the bookcase, looking very much like the raccoon she had recently become.  
  
"Glowing eyes, eh? Very you." Lily approved as she gathered up her books, parchment, quills and ink.  
  
"Do they now? Something else those two dunderheads must have done to me." She said before jumping off the bookshelf and landing at Lily's feet on all fours. She stood up and dusted herself off before looking at Bailey and Angela. She immediately walked right up to Angela. They were so close that the tips of their noses nearly touched.  
  
Lily watched with curiosity. Ashlyn was acting awfully odd, but she figured it was just an act to go along with her new costume. Swinging her bag over her shoulder. Lily walked over to Bailey and stood right next to her. From there the two girls continued to watch as Angela leaned back in slight shock, or was that fear? The two really couldn't tell but she leaned back all the same. They then watched as Ashlyn sniffed once, wrinkled her nose, and took a few steps backwards.  
  
"Well well what have we got here?" she asked with mild curiosity.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes as Angela shot her a look that clearly meant she wanted help. Stepping forward, Lily turned to face Ashlyn. "This is Angela Warner. You've met her before Ashlyn. Once or twice in first year."  
  
Ashlyn laughed. "Oh your one of Courtney's little friends. I remember now."  
  
Angela nodded with a small smile, hoping this was good.  
  
Ashlyn sat on the table Lily had been using and began swinging her legs back and forth. She made a face in mock thought. "Now. were you the one who laughed -wait, no, cackled- like a hag at everything she said; The one who worshiped her and everything she did; The one who tried to be her look- alike; The one who repeated everything she said and tried to come up with better but only ended up sounding like the complete idiot she was; or the one who actually had a brain and cared a bit about the people that Courtney treated like trash?"  
  
Angela looked shocked. Being a friend of Courtney clearly wasn't as good as she hoped.  
  
Bailey jump forward to answer for her. "She was the later of the five choices. She's the one who cared."  
  
"Well then. join us for lunch?" Ashlyn asked as she jumped off the desk. "Oh and sorry if I shocked you a bit before. I'm just getting back into the ring of things. Some things are just all muddled up in my mind and I can't get them straight."  
  
Lily nodded with a smile when Angela looked over for the right answer. "Um. that would be great. Angela Warner by the way." She said while extending a hand that Ashlyn waved her hand at say if to say 'no need' or something of the sort.  
  
Ashlyn smiled. "Oh I knew who you were from the start, my friend. Just couldn't put my finger on which one of those personalities belonged to you."  
  
Bailey began laughing once again. "You knew all along who she was? That's great!" she howled, before walking off ahead of them out into the hall where they could still here her laughing.  
  
Ashlyn looked over to Lily. "Did something -oh I don't know- happen to her while I was away?"  
  
"Not that we know of but you're not the first to wonder." Lily explained.  
  
Ashlyn breathed in as she lifted her head right before dropping it once again and looking at Lily with an almost confused expression. After a few moments though, she simply shrugged her shoulders and nodded with a smile.  
  
"Off to lunch then!" Lily exclaimed. She linked arms with Angela and the two of them left right behind Ashlyn, whose tail became quite the interest for the petite Ravenclaw.  
  
The four of them proceeded to the Great Hall, where they each grabbed a stack of food, before walking out of the school and out onto the grounds. There, Ashlyn and Angela were once again reacquainted and soon all of them were laughing together like they had done once or twice in first year.  
  
The rest of the day passed quickly for Lily. After spending time with her friends for a small while, Lily, Ashlyn and Bailey all had to part for N.E.W.T.S. Herbology while Angela met up with some friends for N.E.W.T.S. Defense Against the Dark Arts. After that, Lily and the rest of the Gryffindor's that took N.E.W.T.S. Charms left for the classroom where they found the Ravenclaw's that took the class as well. Ashlyn asked about Angela, but she, not being very good at charms, simply dropped the class at the first chance she got. Lily's last class was N.E.W.T.S. Defense Against the Dark Arts, which passed to slow to Lily's liking. At last, the day had ended and Lily found herself going to sleep in her cozy dorm room once again. 


End file.
